Electrode housing for elongated tubular lamps and terminal contact therefor



Dec. 8, 1953 S. C. MILLER ELECTRODE HOUSING FOR ELONGATED TUBULAR LAMPS AND TERMINAQCONTACT THEREFOR Filed Aug. 28, 1951 INVENTOR Samuel C. Miller a ATTORNEYW Patented ec. 8, 1953 ELECTRODE HOUSING FOR; EIiONGATED TUBULAR LAMP-S AND TERMINAL CON- TAO! THEREFOR Samuel C. Miller, New York, N. Y.; Rosalie. Miller, executrix of said Samuel C. Millenfdeceased- Application August. 28, 1951,.SerialNmz243fi59 3 Claims.

This invention relates to a high voltage elec-- trode housing and a terminal assembly therefor. The invention more specifically relates to an insulator housing and a terminal contact supported thereon whereby tubular illuminants, such as those employed for illumination by high voltages such as cold cathode discharge tubes, neon sign tubes, may be mounted upon a frameor. plate.

Still more particularly, this invention relates to, and it is an object thereof to provide, an insulator housing to be attached to a signer similar metal frame for mounting tubular sign. il luminants for outdoor illumination or advertising display, and which will satisfy rigid requirements as to drainage of any accumulated moisture or rain, including the minimizing of entrapping detritus or insects, which would tend to. cause. break-down in insulation or shorting between the terminal contact and the framev of a high voltage illuminating assembly.

My invention, in a measure, involves an improvement of, and is a continuation-in-part of my invention described and illustrated in. myapplication Serial No. 225,393, filed May 9, 19.51, which, among other things, also involves an im.- provement. over my Patent No; 2,046,960.0f-Iuly7, 1936.

My invention, in its more specific form, involves.

the provision of an insulator housing and contact support whereby the terminal ends oi a high vo1tage tubular illuminant may be properly sup-- ported on a frame assembly inwhich maximumv drainage is afiorded by the employment of a con-- tact which is supported by the housing, to. 11 crease the drainage when used, rather than to tend increasingly to form an obstruction. Furthermore, my invention resides in the provision of a housing employing a collar-like insulatorwhich is cast with drainage wallsand so mounts the terminal contact that, in use, drainage-is:

augmented and obstruction is minimized inapplying the terminal or electrodeend of the'tube into contacting relationship, thus enlarging the clearance space around the-electrod'e end of'the. tube, when put into use, and facilitatingthe clearance of insects or like detritus which accumulate, and facilitating the inspection of such condition bya construction which permits the use or" transparent material, such. as glass, without sacrificing the requisite practical strength and size for the purposes intended;

Still further, it is an object of this invention to provide a housing which efiects substantial economies by reason of its. contour lending itself to economical and commercially practical glass molding operations, especially involving glass which has high thermal resistance, thus providing effectiveinsulating protection, low cost maintenance and simplicity of molding, toproduce arelatively low cost, economical insulator.

Still more particularly, it is an object of my invention to provide a. housing for an illuminant of the character; described which supports a terminal contact wherein: the housing serves as aneffective mechanical and. electrical shield, axially positions the-illuminantand, in use,.tends toenlargev clearance betweenthe insulator and. the. terminal end, whereby economies in production as well as efilciency in operation are assured.

To attain. these. objects and such further objects: as may appear herein orbe hereinafter pointed out, I make reference. to the accompanying drawing; forming apart hereof, in which?- l igure L is a longitudinal plan view showin aninsulator assembly inlaccordance with my inventiomwith a. part of the support in section;

Figure 2 isa section. onthe line. 22- of: Figure 1;. FigurerSisan end view'inithe direction of: the lines 3.3 of Figure 2, before. application of the tube imposition;

Figure 4 is. a perspective view of the terminal contactspring,

Making reference to the drawing, there is provided ahousing it or generally cylindrical contour, having; molded or. otherwise formed on. its peripheral surface screw threads H. To. oneside of such threaded portion, is formed; a flange I2, cooperating. with. a screw threaded collar E3 to clamptheinsulator toaframe It, when projected through-the aperture l5. Adjacent-the end 1,601 the insulator there may be formed an additional flange 11;, which cooperates, with the flange. i 2:130"

provide a circuitous electrical path, increasing the insulating; value, as: will be, readily under.- stood;

The. insulaton has: an axial; boring. i-;$,. whose mouth is adjacent the end Itfiaresrearwardly. to indent the boring to the end 26. Adjacent to the end 2!! the insulator at'its. periphery is formed with an annular grQoveZi, defininga flange 22 about substantially the. entire end. Communieating with theannular slot, leadingv out. to the end 28 there isformed-alongitudinal slot 23. comprising a seat. formed by the abutments 2d and 25. To one side of the studi-like extension it there. is formed'an angularly d'irectedlslot 2?. also gorrming a passagefromthe groove 2! to the end With thisconstructionthere. is provided a con tact spring 28 which normally comprises convolutions formed in a spiral, the central convolutions 29 whereof are relatively closely wound and preferably progressing in pitch to merge into peripheral convolutions 39, two or three being convoluted cylindrically. The said cylindrical convolutions are thereby joined to the spiral portion by the single angular arm 3|. Ihe number or density of the convolutions will depend upon circumstances as will become apparent as this description proceeds.

The convolutions 3U serve likewise to support a conductor terminal clip 32 which is positioned. to project its shank 33 in the seat 2 3 between the abutments 24 and 25. A looped tongue 34 spans and is crimped about one or more of the convolutions 30, within the groove 2|. The conductor terminal 32 illustrated will be recognized as the usual Fahnstock coupler having engaging fingers 35, and it will be understood that other coupling means may be employed.

With a construction as described, the spiral contact spring 28 is assembled with the insulator I9 by threadedly engaging the convolutions 39 through the flange 22 and entering the same by directing the end of the wire into the angular slot 21. The convolutions 30, being tightly wound within the groove 2 i, will have the arm 3! offset to conform end 20 extending through the angular slot 21 and project the spirally positioned convolutions across and flush with the end 29 of the insulator. With this assembly, the illuminant tube 36 may be axially projected through the opening 59, to have the electrode terminal cap 31 thereof engage with the spiral contact 29 .i

and push it outwardly and expand the spirals helically as well as spirally.

The relative proportions of the tube 36 to the insulator 18 are such as to project the terminal cap 31 against the contacting spring 28, distending the convolutions as well as to cause the axial convolution 29 to conform to the cap 31. Thus, an axial support is provided, as well as a contact for the terminal cap of the tube. The intermediate convolutions between the arm El and the axial portion 29 are drawn angularly away from the end 20, leaving a free passageway between the tube 36 and the walls defining the boring [8 of the insulator. The relationship of the diameter D to the length L may conform to the underwriters P requirements for inaccessibility of the coil 28 with relation to the mouth 19.

A short length L provides the requisite mechanical shielding while permitting a larger or steeper flare from the mouth l9 to the end 20.

The construction of the insulator makes possible the molding and casting of the same with difiicultly castable materials, thus permitting the use of simple, multi-part molds for high fusion, thermally resistant, thermal glass having a high dielectric strength and a low coefiicient of thermal expansion characteristic of the boro-silicate glass manufactured under the trade-mark Pyrex.

The insulator accordingly may be made by the manufacturing procedure outlined in my Patent No. 2,046,960, with the additional features indicated in my applications Serial No. 77,015, now Patent No. 2,630,469, March 3, 1953, and Serial No. 104,556 with regard to the flare of the interior boring providing rapid drainage away from the mouth of the housing. The shortened length of housing so that the spiral contacting spring is distended when in contact with the terminal of the illuminant serves to provide a Sharp a e angle interiorly of the boring, without sacrificing strength. Furthermore, the spiral contact is attenuated with regard to the opening adjacent the end 20, rather than to increase the obstruction, as is the case with a spring contact previously used by me which, when compressed within the housing, expands in diameter.

It will thus be observed that by the construction provided increased efficiency for drainage is secured, without sacrificing mechanical shielding or electrical insulation. Furthermore, the more extensive the engagement of the terminal cap 31 with the spiral contact 29, the greater will be the clearance between the insulator walls and the axially positioned cap.

In general, it will be observed that I have provided an insulator assembly for tubular illuminants which may be assembled especially on a vertical frame in which long life is assured by reason of ready drainage of rain water, and clearance of insects and detritus, and in which a wide variety of insulator materials, particularly glass, multiform glass, and ceramics or porcelain, may be employed, thereby effecting economies with respect of the material and the labor and apparatus for their production and assembly.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a high voltage electrode housing for supporting an electrode tube on a frame, having a substantially cylindrically contoured exterior body portion having an opening extending from end to end, a mouth at one end thereof through which the electrode tube may pass, a rim at the other end thereof, an integral flange on said exterior portion between said ends adjacent said mouth, means on said exterior portion for mounting the housing to the frame, the opening on the interior of said housing being outlined by walls continuously and gradually flaring toward the rim end forming a drainage passage extending to the rim end, said rim end having indentations exteriorly positioned comprising seat portions arranged for supporting terminal contact means against displacement transverse- 1y of said housing adjacent said rim end, the combination therewith of a terminal contact comprising a convoluted conductor having a portion mounted across the rim end and a portion including an anchoring convolution engaging said seat portions and terminal conductor clip means on said housing supported by said anchoring convolution, the terminal contact upon positioning of the electrode tube, leaving a substantially clear passage for drainage.

2. In a high voltage electrode housing in accordance with claim 1 wherein the terminal contact comprises a spiral and the anchoring convolution comprises a helix.

3. In a high voltage electrode housing in accordance with claim 1 wherein the terminal contact comprises a spiral wire spring having a peripheral radial arm merging into peripheral convolutions of helical outline.

SAMUEL C. MILLER.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,700,166 Johnson Jan. 29, 1929 1,706,987 Schafiler Mar. 26, 1929 1,872,593 Hough Aug. 16, 1932 2,159,660 Kauffman May 23, 1939 2,186,703 Kresge Jan. 9, 1940 

